Talking speech research

Five of the world's top international speech pathologists are discussing their latest research at the three-day 'Communicating Together' Symposium in Newcastle from 2-4 December.

Language literacy in school-aged children, children's speech
sound disorders, and overcoming speech disorders following a brain injury are
some of the topics that will be covered during the event.

University of Newcastle senior lecturer and researcher, Dr
Bronwyn Hemsley, said the symposium would inform and stimulate focused research
development discussions.

"It's an exciting time to be undertaking research activity
in speech pathology. Advances in research over the past decade has helped shape
clinical practice and develop new treatments and positive outcomes for children
and adults with communication disabilities," Dr Hemsley said.

"The clinical landscape is rapidly changing, particularly
with advances in e-health technologies, and Australia's new funding models and
DisabilityCare Australia. The challenge for us as researchers is to ensure our
findings translate quickly into improved policies and practices that make a
real difference."

Keynote speakers from Australia, New Zealand and the United
States will deliver their latest research findings.

"We're privileged to host internationally-recognised speech
pathology experts in Newcastle including Professor Nicole Muller from the
University of Louisiana and Professor Marilyn Nippold from the University of
Oregon who will outline the language-literacy connection in school
aged-children and adults.

"Dr Caroline Bowen, an expert in children's speech sound
disorders, will share her decades of research on how a clinician's choice of
treatment targets, and their duration and intensity, can have significant effects
on outcomes."

Professor Susan Balandin will discuss confidentiality and
the issues it raises for clinicians and researchers who work with people who
struggle to speak.

Professor Leanne Toghe is an expert with 25 years'
experience working in the area of communication disorders following a brain
injury.

"Professor Togher's research has delivered some fantastic
outcomes including publishing training packages for law and justice personnel
to improve interactions with people with brain injuries and she has developed
an online treatment resource aimed at improving everyday communication for
people with brain injury and their families."